OFF TRACK BELIEVERS
“…Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God
before you.” Matt. 21:31
Jesus is definitely not saying that because we are saved by grace and He came to die for
sinners that prostitutes and criminals and any other sinner is going to automatically be
given eternal life.
We have gotten to the point where we have just relaxed in our walk. Some resigned to the fact that because the law was not in fact done away with, we have a prophet that magnifies the Word with her inspiration, and that God is looking for a holy peculiar people we have to work our way into heaven. Others have resigned to the fact that since the Bible speaks of publicans and harlots getting into heaven and that we are saved by grace that anything goes while we continue to live any kind of way.
I have watched and observed people go from one extreme to the other. I am talking about
from strict perfection finding they are miserable and burdened all the way to living a
lifestyle so very contrary to a Christian lifestyle.
I often ask myself about this confusion that many of us long time Adventists have.
This text really gives me a great understanding of our Savior and His purpose. He came
to save sinners but not while they are in sin. For in John 8:11 Jesus told the woman
caught in the adultery to go and sin no more. He has come to offer us a new life.
Those in the world living sinful lives and then they find Christ, are rejoicing and living
for Christ for they did not know before that Christ came to save. We who have been in
the church all of our lives and have not been involved as deeply as others can’t
understand what it truly means to be saved by grace. We are like the Pharisees.
While we haven’t been a prostitute on the corner or a drug addict or a murderer, we are
gossipers, back biters, unloving, lovers of money and possessions etc. Christ came to
save us too but we must surrender all to Him, and allow Him to take over our lives filling us
with his loving spirit.
This is why drug addicts, murderers and prostitutes will take our place in heaven because
they find Christ and they go and sin no more. They have such an appreciation for the
grace, mercy and changing power that they are filled with true love and sincere appreciation.
Their lives and witness testifies of Christ while ours does not. Instead many of us want to cry saved by grace, saved by grace, when we instead take advantage of the grace and continue to trample on God’s law which is His loving character.
What to do? We must ask Christ to come into our hearts and take over
completely. He will place us on the right path. It is a process, and no matter how far we are,
or how long we have been there. Once we are facing the right direction, if you see Christ ahead, you are on the right track.